Wembley Champions are non party political neighbours, family and friends who ask for transparency and accountability from Brent Council in their decisions and actions. We seek a better quality of life for all Wembley and Brent residents and businesses.

Tuesday, 27 June 2017

1. How can ward members / residents raise their concerns with partner organisations (TFL, Police, etc.)?

That would be directly with these organisations, and we can provide the contact details.
There is also the Wembley Stadium Residents Advisory Committee which was set up by the FA specifically for residents to raise any concerns about stadium event and activities, and the local Wembley Brent Connects meetings where more general concerns can be raised.

2. What measures are in place to ensure Tottenham / FA control any arising issues? How will the council monitor them?

Event day arrangements are subject to agreement and monitoring by the Wembley Stadium Safety Advisory Group (WSAG), its Transport sub group and officers attending and working in support of each event. The WSAG also includes partners from the police, all relevant transport organisations, the LFB [London Fire Brigade], The London Ambulance Service, The Sports Ground Safety Authority, Tottenham Hotspur, the FA and Quintain. These partners are charged with ensuring safe and trouble free events that minimise impact on the local community.

3. What support be available for local residents (particularly elderly) impacted by Tottenham’s move to Wembley?

Residents can raise any concerns directly with the council and/or the FA.
The Pensioner’s Forum, a dormant sub-group of Brent Connects, is currently under review with a completion date of mid-August 2017. Should it be reinstated, it will be an effective support mechanism for elderly residents in the borough. In short-term, the forum’s Chair, Vi Steele, is still actively engaging with older people in Brent.
Also to be secured via S106:

Community Engagement Resource – Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL) will employ a dedicated Community Engagement member of staff to support the communications and engagement with local residents, businesses and Brent Council. This will be support by Totten Hotspur Football Club’s (THFC’s) community relations and communications team.

Coordinated Communications – Brent Council, WNSL and THFC will produce a coordinated comprehensive communications programme dedicated to ensuring residents have greater awareness and knowledge of the full events calendar, Event Day start and kick off times and the measures being taken to mitigate their impact. These communication channels will include:
- Brent Magazine
- Council’s resident database
- THFC, WNSL and Brent website and social media channels
- Local newspapers and radio
- Other potential advertising across local transport hubs

4. How will crowd management at local transport links be facilitated?
This is coordinated through the WSAG and arrangements will mirror the usual match day arrangements that are marshalled by the police, stewards and the transport providers themselves.

5. How many enforcement officers will be available to enforce traffic regulations?

To be determined, however, deployment is likely to mirror that made at any other event.
The S106 (being completed) included measures as outlined above and to reflect the proposal as follows on parking:

Pirate Parking off-site: WNSL has funded a six-month joint scheme with Brent Council and Quintain to shut down illegal car parks surrounding the stadium in order to further cut the supply of parking. This has already been very successful leading to a reduction in around one third of available off-site spaces.

Traffic Management Measures: WNSL and THFC will implement temporary traffic management measures for all THFC Event days in order to ensure that any vehicles in the area for the match have limited impact on residents and the community.

Parking Enforcement: WNSL and THFC will pay for additional on-street parking enforcement for all THFC Event Days in order to ensure that there is limited impact on residents from vehicles parked illegally.

Promoting Use of Public Transport: THFC will implement a comprehensive Transport Communications Plan to all supporters attending matches, promoting the Stadium as a public transport destination and explicitly advising against driving due to impact on the area, lack of parking and strong local enforcement. Such an approach has so far meant over 78% of supporters have travelled by Tube and rail, with only 6% travelling by car to THFC matches at Wembley.

Event Day Signage: WNSL are funding and leading a coordinated approach with key stakeholders to address existing road signage. All works will be completed prior to the commencement of the 2017/18 season. These include:

- Audit: Funded a comprehensive audit of existing signage through Brent to identify broken signage and/or current low or no signage areas in order to ensure local residents have better knowledge of events and their restrictions (completed).

- Signage Maintenance: Undertake maintenance to repair existing Variable-Message Signs (VMS) and Event Day Flap signs. Signage Improvements – Following the audit, WNSL and THFC will commit to the provision of additional VMS and Event Day Flap Signs to improve areas with insufficient signage.

- WSTOG: THFC will continue to work closely alongside the Wembley Stadium Transport Operations Group through attending all meetings, promoting further transport messages and identify upcoming service issues.

6. How will Tottenham’s move benefit local businesses? How will we ensure businesses on the High Road / Triangle are not adversely affected?

This will have commercial benefit for some, depending on their line of business. Many of the matches will be on Sundays and/or evenings thus bringing new business at hitherto quieter business times.

In addition to the above, the Town Centre Manager for Wembley (Rubina Charalambous) will be working closely with the local business community to exploit any promotional opportunities through the development of a robust marketing / PR campaign in partnership with THFC and WNSL

7. What percentage of new employment generated to be provided to local residents?

The council’ job and apprenticeship brokerage, Brent Works, will work closely with Tottenham Hotspur and continue to work with the FA to promote any vacancies to local residents. Early discussions have taken place with the Tottenham Hotspur Charitable Foundation, who themselves are keen to provide training for local residents to help them in accessing these opportunities.

Cllr Shama agreed with DC & ED after end of recorded minutes to review the minutes in one afternoon to verify them.

We will be sharing the minutes with Brent residents & businesses end
of today with the caveat that Cllr Shama is to verify the minutes on
our Council's behalf. [Cllr Shama has verified the minutes]

Meeting opened with introductions

MB Possible Legal action would mean that the meeting cannot go ahead
with the planned agenda. Right to take planning application to planning
tribunal.

DC Should we take legal action? No from other residents, proceed with meeting agenda.

MB Not sure what this public meeting is about.

DC Unhappy members from Brent, public meeting to understand process better.

MB Everything that applies to planning is public information. Documents are on councils website.

NB Irregularities have occurred in feedback.

FH Planning has not been transparent with regards to anti social
behaviour, toilets, roads, parking and congestion. Public want answers.

MB End of the month for application deadline by stadium for decision between stadium and Tottenham.

MC All relevant parties need to involved in process moving forward

MB Initial meetings took place with other ward members through councillors and will come back to a group in council to monitor.

MC Where is opportunity for ward members to raise issues with TFL etc.

CW TFL, Chiltern Railways, Met Police, Stadium are bought together to
discuss operations on event days. Complaints are discussed re anti
social behaviour etc. Bi-monthly meetings meetings but more frequent if
requested. I am the chair and will be happy to raise any issues with
resident group meetings.

MC Residents had no idea these meetings took place.

CW I will discuss at the next meeting on 25/4 and get back to group for next meeting.

MB Anyone can attend these meetings. I will send details to Barn Hill
and other residents associations. Issues discussed illegal street
traders, advanced notifications of events, anti social behaviour,
stewards on street. Meetings approx 4-6 monthly. They can ask for more
regular meetings. Anyone can be part of the meetings.

CW Commitment from Tottenham taking control of issues if they come to Wembley.

MB Commitment is there to hold Tottenham to account after every match.
There will be rigorous monitoring. Performance measures are in place.
They will need to demonstrate community engagement. A community trust is
in place by Tottenham.

MC But this is temporary, Where is the incentive to put community engagement in?

MB Stadium and FA are going to be held to account and are seen as same entity.

CW Very serious incidents occurring would allow us to influence kick of
times. Secondary advisory group must always be consulted e.g. if two
rival clubs an earlier kick off time could be factored in on a match by
match basis. Wembley stadium will organise events and not Tottenham.

MC Incentives such as tickets for local residents have been mentioned. How are council going to monitor these undertakings?

MB System in place first port of call schools who will have direct links with community engagement team.

MC What about local residents who are impacted?

MB Yes they will be contacted too, in priority of schools, Charities, residents and then councillors.

DC Back to agenda, key issue quality of life for elderly Brent residents, fear of being prisoners.

MC Some residents frightened of leaving their homes on event days.

MB Not sure how we would assist with this. Perhaps carers hub option to help. Could ask community engagement team.

DC Transport issues Stadium has average public transport accessibility
level rating of 3.
One station has a rating of 2. another 4 & the
other 6. Is there anything that can be done to facilitate management of
crowds?

MB TFL will ensure adequate trains are put into place. Crowds usually cleared within 90 mins.

From the minutes, the majority of the questions
are based on the mitigation agreements. We are currently still in
working out the details.

I am proposing that we once again meet to go
through the questions you have, the agreed mitigation and how we can
ensure residents voices are heard.

Can I suggest we meet in the 2 weeks after the
election as by that time we should have a details and also council
business is not restricted by election rules. We are currently trying to
find a date that all relevant officers can attend and once we have that
I will let you know."

12th May 09.56hrsWembley Champions reply to Cllr Shama Tatler "Just an update. Corresponded with the team and are still waiting for replies."

12th May at 10.05hrsCllr Shama Tatler, Brent Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Growth, Employment and Skills & Fryent Ward Councillor

"Thank you for your email.

As I said in my previous email, we are still finalising all details and are organising a date for the follow up meeting to answer the questions.

I will be in touch when we can confirm a meeting date."

17th May 17.57hrs Amar Dave,Strategic Director, Regeneration & Environment's Personal Assistant"Further to Cllr Tatler’s note below, we can offer the following date / time for a follow-up meeting at the Brent Civic Centre:

·Monday 26 June, 4:30pm – 6:00pm.

Please can you let us know whether this will be suitable for yourself and the Wembley Champions?I look forward to hearing from you."

5th June 11.49hrsWembley Champions reply:"We are having difficulty finding anyone able to attend that date.

In light of that, please may we have the answers in writing.
It may be in our Council's interests to send us them before June 8th.
However, we understand that our Council will be focused on election
responsibilities at this time.

If the leader and our Council still wish to meet with us on the 26th June, after sending us the answers in writing, we will continue to try to find persons willing to or able to attend."

We would like to go ahead with the meeting on the 26th as you indicate that you could have someone come and meet with us. I feel this is better than written answers as a meeting will be able to address things directly.

Whilst we have the minutes you prepared from the last meeting, please could you also list any further questions you have.

Look forward to hearing from you and meeting you on the 26th."

6th June 15.09hrs

Wembley Champions

Sent an email to all Cllrs and Officers at Our Council involved in this planning application for extra Wembley National Stadium event daysagain asking for answers to our Task Force meeting Qs

Saturday, 3 June 2017

(Note: WembleyChampions are thousands of non-party political residents of Brent)

This
is what Zac Goldsmith (Conservative) wrote to us 12.11hrs on Tuesday 3rd May before he lost the Mayor of London elections in 2016 to Sadiq Khan (Labour):

"Joel Davidson has drawn my attention to the proposed Chesterfield House
redevelopment and how it will dominate the Wembley neighbourhood.

There’s little doubt that Housing is the number one concern in London. A
whole generation, possibly two, has little hope of getting on the
housing ladder. Millions of Londoners are currently spending half of
their income on unsustainably high rents, meaning they have little
chance to save for a deposit.

There is no single answer to this
problem, but there are many things that we can do to improve the
situation. We need to focus on releasing publicly owned brownfield land
for development while also putting empty houses back on the market. A
London-first bias for new developments would also ensure Londoners have
access to homes in their own city. But, if we are to deliver the level
of new homes we need, we must also work with communities, not against
them. London’s new homes need to be high quality and built in keeping
with their local area.

I want new developments to compliment the
communities they exist within, rather than towering over them. They
should enhance, rather than undermine existing communities. In many
cases, low-rise, high-density streetscapes would generate enough new
quality housing to cater for our needs for many years to come. My policy
is that everyone should be able to live in homes they are proud to call
home. Tall buildings have a role in parts of central London but,
otherwise, should only be allowed where there is clear community consent
and where they are the only way to ensure higher densities.

The
London Plan sets out the framework for development in London. If I’m
elected, I will revise the London Plan to strengthen it against
unacceptable developments.
Unfortunately, we are now so close to
polling day it will not be possible for us to meet, but you can be
assured that I am entirely sympathetic to the issues you raise.

With best wishes,
Zac Goldsmith MP
Conservative candidate for Mayor of London"